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Anticipation

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Anticipation is a video board game for one to four players (both computer and human). The object of the game is to be the first to collect a card for each of the four colors on the game board. During each turn the computer will display seemingly random dots, then a pencil starts connecting the do...

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Developer
Rare

Released on
1988

Size
1–4 Players

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Board Game

Publisher
Nintendo

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Anticipation is a video board game for one to four players (both computer and human). The object of the game is to be the first to collect a card for each of the four colors on the game board. During each turn the computer will display seemingly random dots, then a pencil starts connecting the dots to form a picture. The first player to correctly identify the picture will earn a card for the color of the picture being drawn. As the picture draws, a dice on the screen will count down from 6 to 1. Whatever value is showing when a player successfully identifies the picture is the number of spaces that players game piece will move on the game board for the next turn. The color of the space the game piece lands on will dictate the category for the next picture to be drawn.

Each game will choose four categories from the various options, which include: tools, man made, clothing, food, math, office, travel, music, things, natural, leisure, and many others. After you’ve mastered the easier skill levels, the difficulty can be increased which will present more complicated pictures, remove some of the dots from the picture, or eliminate the dots entirely.

The game supports one to four players, however the NES satellite is not supported. If three or four players are competing, then two players will need to share a single controller. The control pad or A/B buttons would ring in a player who knew the answer for the picture being drawn, then the controller would have to be handed to that player in order to enter in the answer.

Anticipation

Overview & History

Released by Rare in late 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Nintendo, Anticipation is a quirky, board-game-style puzzle title that predates the explosive popularity of Pictionary-themed console games. Unlike typical platformers of the era, this game dispenses with a traditional narrative, instead framing its competition as a lively, token-based race across a colorful, multi-dimensional virtual game board. Players choose from a roster of distinct stylized game pieces—including a cup of coffee, an alligator, a baby, and a roller skate—each racing to the center of the board. The primary goal is to solve rapidly drawing, progressive Pictionary-style puzzles rendered in chunky 8-bit pixel art before your opponents do. Rare infused the title with a surprisingly upbeat, humming chiptune soundtrack by composer David Wise, making the intellectual race feel remarkably vibrant and distinctly memorable.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Gameplay revolves around rolling a die on a floating 2D board to advance your specific token across varied thematic worlds like Nature, Toys, and Food. Landing on designated squares triggers the core mechanic: a pixelated sketching phase where a hidden object is slowly drawn, line by line, right before your eyes. Players must rapidly type out or guess the identity of the drawing letter by letter using an on-screen alphabet grid. As the pencil draws faster, the tension mounts, rewarding quick word association and spatial reasoning. Succeeding earns you a puzzle piece; collecting enough pieces allows you to advance to the final board and claim overall victory. It supports up to four players using the NES Four Score adapter, introducing chaotic multiplayer social dynamics.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Navigate the on-screen keyboard, board paths, and menu selections
Action Keys: Select letters, confirm guesses, and roll the dice
Enter: Start / Pause